Hope Ch.17
Hope Ch.17
Morning came over the castle. Inferno stretched out, and went to his balcony. Over looking the castle he sighed, he didn't like the sight of it before, what with red cracking earth, a moat of lava, and the twisted looking fortifcations, all of it was just disturbing. But he had been stuck here ever since the battle at Terria Castle. "Familiarity breeds contempt." He said to himself.
"Are you saying you feel contempt at me?" Inferno smiled as Draganny landed. "I'm hurt."
Inferno chuckled, "No...I just can't stand seeing this castle day in and day out. I want to do something, anything."
"Then you will go to a tower of the dead. There you'll find those group of insects...with your new power, I want you to kill them." Inferno and Draganny turned to see Orochi standing behind them.
They both bowed, Inferno raising his head, "You're sure my lord."
Orochi nodded, "Yes, our scouts saw them headed there, though we don't know why."
Inferno nodded, "Very well, I'll set out immediatly."
Orochi smiled, turning to Draganny, "Draganny I need you to send word to Dasi, tell her that I need her to up her progress."
Draganny nodded, "As you will my lord." She took off. Inferno rose and took off, heading down.
"Take a swift flyer just in case...we can't be too overconfident." Inferno called back an affirmitive. Rushing out, with an escape ride flying behind him. Inferno was smiling, "This time, you'll all die!"
***********************************
Sky was up, stretching out, when she noticed Link was already up. She walked over to him, "What's up?"
Link sighed, "This is where my mother was killed you know. That book was her murderer's target."
Sky looked down, "I'm sorry."
Link sighed again, "I really hope what that Draganny said isn't true." he looked up, "I don't want to see the place she defended so hard corrupted by that demon."
Sky smiled, "We'll make things right if it is. Don't worry." Link nodded, a faint smile. Sky looked back as the others began to stir. "Alright, rise and shine all of you, we've got a tower filled with hostile ghosts and get a book to keep some our enemies dead for good."
Bane stretched, nodding, "Right."
Rika was smiling, "This should be fun!"
Burn nodded, "Yep. And for a god such as myself, it shall be most easy."
Blaze groaned, "Ohh SHUT UP!"
Tia giggled, Blue surpessed his own chuckle, with limited results, "Come on then, let's go!" Link led the group off, the tower's entrance getting closer and closer as they neared.
The entrance, while not big, wasn't small either. They cautiously took the first few steps into it, keeping an eye open for any enemies. Bane moved to the front, "Okay, any of us with attacks that can really hurt ghosts need to surrond the others." they nodded, Sky moveing to the right rear, Blue to the left rear, and Bane leading. The others walked together between them, all of them were keeping their eyes and ears open, when they heard a wail. Bane cursed, "We've got company!"
A haunter, gastly, and misdreavus were coming, their faces showed that something was tormenting them. The haunter used a shadow ball, the gastly sent out a nightshade, and the misdreavus used a psywave. Bane got all three attacks, and was knocked back, launching his own shadow ball, which the haunter dodged. Blue and Sky were up with him, Rika leaping on his back, and sending a thunderbolt at the haunter, hitting it, and leaving it open to the three shadow balls that were launched. The haunter wailed, and phased out. The gastly and misdreavus prepared to use their attacks again. The gastly was hit by a psybeam, and phased out, while the misdreavus was smacked by a fire blast, and hydro pump. It too phased out.
Link let out a held breath, "So it's true...we need to find that book, it's the only thing that can bring peace to them."
Rika looked a bit worried, "What did we do to those guys?"
Link smiled, "They just lost their semi-physical bodies, eventually they'll reform. Don't worry."
Rika smiled back nodding, then gulped, "So this tower is filled with these ghosts?" Link nodded, "Just great, looks like we've got quite the fight ahead." They continued onward, working their way through the tower, Bane looking around, "Where's this book anyway?"
Link pointed up, "Top floor."
Bane sighed, "Of course." They encountered another batch of ghosts, this group having two haunters, and a gengar. Three shadow balls were sent at the group, which were countered by three shadow balls from the dark types, and then a fire blast, hydro pump, and thunder bolt. The two haunters phased out, the gengar grunted, but remained. Blaze used his own fire blast, Tia sending a...thunder bolt from her tail, which surprised her. The gengar groaned, disappearing, and they continued on. They encountered more and more groups of ghosts, usually numbering around 4 or 5, and they always repelled them. Then as they were a few floors from the top, they heard a cackling, and turned to see a swarm of ghosts charging them. Bane groaned, "It's always so damn difficult." He sighed, "RUN FOR IT!" They went full speed.
They launched whatever attacks they could, but they focused more on running faced against the sheer numbers of their opponents and their unflinching charge. Bane and Sky were doing their best to keep the large number of ghosts off their tail, Blue took care of the few that met them in front. When they finally reached to top of the tower, Link immediatly set off for one spot in particular, a small plaque in the wall.
He managed to pull the slab of rock out, and inside of a small hole, was a book. He took the book out, and began flipping through the pages, "I need to find the spell. Keep them off me till then."
Bane shot a shadow ball at another attacking ghost, "Just make it quick!" Link was going through the pages as fast as he could, while still looking for the spell that they needed. The ghosts were pouring in on all sides, and the group had formed a circle around Link, and were blasting off as many of the ghosts as they could. Tia was using her new found thunderbolt attack to char anything she could, but there was only so much she could do. Which was why she was grateful Blaze was there to hit what she missed. Rika and Bane were easily taking down those that they saw, Burn was making a spectacle out of his blasts, and Mist happily did the same. Sky and Blue were blasting ghosts left and right, slowing the advance of ghosts considerably.
Link then stopped and began to read one page, "I found it!"
"Then use the spell!" Bane had just blasted a gengar, and a haunter and spiritomb were coming in.
Link read the spell, then began the process of making it happen. It required a small chant, and some hand motions, but with a flash of light a massive shockwave went down through the tower. When the light eventually faded, the ghosts had stopped charging, and even looked confused. They fased through the flooring and were gone, not even batting an eye at the group. Bane let out a sigh of relief, "Finally!"
Blaze sat down, "Ghosts. Not my first choice in opponents." Tia nodded, agreeing wholeheartidly.
Burn chuckled, "I found it quite invigorating." Mist licked his cheek.
Blue layed down, "Well...that was interesting to say the least."
Link was still going through the book, until he found the page he was looking for, "Alright...this is the spell." He began to put it to heart, memorizing every word and movement need to use it. "This...should make sure they stay dead this time."
Rika smiled, "Alright...no more Death, Sarak, Errol, or any of the others."
Bane nodded, and got up, "We should keep moving...we need to capture Dasi." They all nodded and proceeded down the tower.
***********************************
Inferno smirked, "Soon enough...they'll die." He was finally going to rid himself of those retched images of the absol, Sky. She had plagued his thoughts long enough. "Soon enough...my mind will have peace."
***********************************
They had made it out of the tower when they heard a chuckle, "Took you lot long enough." The voice was all to familiar, and sent a shiver down their spines. Sky was looking all over for the source...
...and to her horror she found it. Inferno walked out from the brush, only he was changed. He had two serpent heads coming from his shoulders, with burning red eyes, Their tongues flicked out menacingly as he smiled, "So nice to see you all again."
Sky could feel tears in her eyes, "Inferno...what's happened to you?"
He chuckled, "Something amazing. I now hold a part of Lord Orochi's power. And with it...I'm going to kill you." He lept forward without another word, the twin heads lunging for Sky. She barely managed to avoid them, and was helpless against the Dark Pulse he sent. She was knocked back, and Inferno moved to finish her off.
His jaws were closing in to snap shut, and end her life. When Bane intercepted him with a tackle. Inferno growled, and a snake head sunk it's fangs into Bane's side. He let out a groan as he was lifted and tossed aside. "Bane!" Rika launched a thunder bolt at Inferno, who dodged it, then he lept up, avoiding the thunderbolt of Tia's. The stray bolt hit Mist. Burn turned to make sure she was fine, then felt an iron tail hit him in the gut, followed by another blow while he was still in the air.
Link and Blue were side by side, with Tia, Blaze, and Rika standing behind Inferno. Inferno smirked, "Surronding me won't do you any good..." he unleashed another dark pulse, which knocked them all back, then with a succession of speedy moves, Inferno hit one after the other of his old friends.
Bane had managed to get back on his feet, and was greeted by Inferno's evil smile. Inferno charged up a hyper beam, and sent Bane sailing into the woods nearby. Inferno chuckled, "Such weak fools." He turned back to Sky, who had just risen up and stared at him, tears in her eyes. He charged her, quickly closing the distance, and he noticed something odd, "Why isn't she moving?" he thought to himself as he got within striking distance.
Sky just closed her eyes, "Inferno...I'm sorry..." he stopped his attack cold, and just stared at her. She was sorry...but for what? He stepped back, as she opened her eyes, "Inferno...please...listen..." she pleaded, "I'm your..."
Inferno shook his head, "You're my enemy! You oppose my lord!" He stepped back again, "Damn it...just die!" He turned and ran, a pidgeot swooped in just then, and Inferno lept on it's back. The two forms were quickly disappearing on the horizon. Sky just stood there, shaking, then fell to the ground and began to lightly cry. Rika wanted to comfort Sky, but she rushed for Bane, and found him in a heap, but alive. The group gathered together, and began to set up for rest. None of them felt up for continuing on after what they had just seen.
***********************************
Draganny had gotten to the castle and found Inferno in his room, but he didn't look good. "Inferno? What happened?"
He sighed, "There's something about that absol...the things she says are...I don't know what to think anymore."
Draganny sighed herself, and sat next to him, and began petting him, "Don't worry...I'm sure it'll all become clear soon enough."
He took a deep breath, "I hope so...I don't want these thoughts in my head."
Morning came over the castle. Inferno stretched out, and went to his balcony. Over looking the castle he sighed, he didn't like the sight of it before, what with red cracking earth, a moat of lava, and the twisted looking fortifcations, all of it was just disturbing. But he had been stuck here ever since the battle at Terria Castle. "Familiarity breeds contempt." He said to himself.
"Are you saying you feel contempt at me?" Inferno smiled as Draganny landed. "I'm hurt."
Inferno chuckled, "No...I just can't stand seeing this castle day in and day out. I want to do something, anything."
"Then you will go to a tower of the dead. There you'll find those group of insects...with your new power, I want you to kill them." Inferno and Draganny turned to see Orochi standing behind them.
They both bowed, Inferno raising his head, "You're sure my lord."
Orochi nodded, "Yes, our scouts saw them headed there, though we don't know why."
Inferno nodded, "Very well, I'll set out immediatly."
Orochi smiled, turning to Draganny, "Draganny I need you to send word to Dasi, tell her that I need her to up her progress."
Draganny nodded, "As you will my lord." She took off. Inferno rose and took off, heading down.
"Take a swift flyer just in case...we can't be too overconfident." Inferno called back an affirmitive. Rushing out, with an escape ride flying behind him. Inferno was smiling, "This time, you'll all die!"
***********************************
Sky was up, stretching out, when she noticed Link was already up. She walked over to him, "What's up?"
Link sighed, "This is where my mother was killed you know. That book was her murderer's target."
Sky looked down, "I'm sorry."
Link sighed again, "I really hope what that Draganny said isn't true." he looked up, "I don't want to see the place she defended so hard corrupted by that demon."
Sky smiled, "We'll make things right if it is. Don't worry." Link nodded, a faint smile. Sky looked back as the others began to stir. "Alright, rise and shine all of you, we've got a tower filled with hostile ghosts and get a book to keep some our enemies dead for good."
Bane stretched, nodding, "Right."
Rika was smiling, "This should be fun!"
Burn nodded, "Yep. And for a god such as myself, it shall be most easy."
Blaze groaned, "Ohh SHUT UP!"
Tia giggled, Blue surpessed his own chuckle, with limited results, "Come on then, let's go!" Link led the group off, the tower's entrance getting closer and closer as they neared.
The entrance, while not big, wasn't small either. They cautiously took the first few steps into it, keeping an eye open for any enemies. Bane moved to the front, "Okay, any of us with attacks that can really hurt ghosts need to surrond the others." they nodded, Sky moveing to the right rear, Blue to the left rear, and Bane leading. The others walked together between them, all of them were keeping their eyes and ears open, when they heard a wail. Bane cursed, "We've got company!"
A haunter, gastly, and misdreavus were coming, their faces showed that something was tormenting them. The haunter used a shadow ball, the gastly sent out a nightshade, and the misdreavus used a psywave. Bane got all three attacks, and was knocked back, launching his own shadow ball, which the haunter dodged. Blue and Sky were up with him, Rika leaping on his back, and sending a thunderbolt at the haunter, hitting it, and leaving it open to the three shadow balls that were launched. The haunter wailed, and phased out. The gastly and misdreavus prepared to use their attacks again. The gastly was hit by a psybeam, and phased out, while the misdreavus was smacked by a fire blast, and hydro pump. It too phased out.
Link let out a held breath, "So it's true...we need to find that book, it's the only thing that can bring peace to them."
Rika looked a bit worried, "What did we do to those guys?"
Link smiled, "They just lost their semi-physical bodies, eventually they'll reform. Don't worry."
Rika smiled back nodding, then gulped, "So this tower is filled with these ghosts?" Link nodded, "Just great, looks like we've got quite the fight ahead." They continued onward, working their way through the tower, Bane looking around, "Where's this book anyway?"
Link pointed up, "Top floor."
Bane sighed, "Of course." They encountered another batch of ghosts, this group having two haunters, and a gengar. Three shadow balls were sent at the group, which were countered by three shadow balls from the dark types, and then a fire blast, hydro pump, and thunder bolt. The two haunters phased out, the gengar grunted, but remained. Blaze used his own fire blast, Tia sending a...thunder bolt from her tail, which surprised her. The gengar groaned, disappearing, and they continued on. They encountered more and more groups of ghosts, usually numbering around 4 or 5, and they always repelled them. Then as they were a few floors from the top, they heard a cackling, and turned to see a swarm of ghosts charging them. Bane groaned, "It's always so damn difficult." He sighed, "RUN FOR IT!" They went full speed.
They launched whatever attacks they could, but they focused more on running faced against the sheer numbers of their opponents and their unflinching charge. Bane and Sky were doing their best to keep the large number of ghosts off their tail, Blue took care of the few that met them in front. When they finally reached to top of the tower, Link immediatly set off for one spot in particular, a small plaque in the wall.
He managed to pull the slab of rock out, and inside of a small hole, was a book. He took the book out, and began flipping through the pages, "I need to find the spell. Keep them off me till then."
Bane shot a shadow ball at another attacking ghost, "Just make it quick!" Link was going through the pages as fast as he could, while still looking for the spell that they needed. The ghosts were pouring in on all sides, and the group had formed a circle around Link, and were blasting off as many of the ghosts as they could. Tia was using her new found thunderbolt attack to char anything she could, but there was only so much she could do. Which was why she was grateful Blaze was there to hit what she missed. Rika and Bane were easily taking down those that they saw, Burn was making a spectacle out of his blasts, and Mist happily did the same. Sky and Blue were blasting ghosts left and right, slowing the advance of ghosts considerably.
Link then stopped and began to read one page, "I found it!"
"Then use the spell!" Bane had just blasted a gengar, and a haunter and spiritomb were coming in.
Link read the spell, then began the process of making it happen. It required a small chant, and some hand motions, but with a flash of light a massive shockwave went down through the tower. When the light eventually faded, the ghosts had stopped charging, and even looked confused. They fased through the flooring and were gone, not even batting an eye at the group. Bane let out a sigh of relief, "Finally!"
Blaze sat down, "Ghosts. Not my first choice in opponents." Tia nodded, agreeing wholeheartidly.
Burn chuckled, "I found it quite invigorating." Mist licked his cheek.
Blue layed down, "Well...that was interesting to say the least."
Link was still going through the book, until he found the page he was looking for, "Alright...this is the spell." He began to put it to heart, memorizing every word and movement need to use it. "This...should make sure they stay dead this time."
Rika smiled, "Alright...no more Death, Sarak, Errol, or any of the others."
Bane nodded, and got up, "We should keep moving...we need to capture Dasi." They all nodded and proceeded down the tower.
***********************************
Inferno smirked, "Soon enough...they'll die." He was finally going to rid himself of those retched images of the absol, Sky. She had plagued his thoughts long enough. "Soon enough...my mind will have peace."
***********************************
They had made it out of the tower when they heard a chuckle, "Took you lot long enough." The voice was all to familiar, and sent a shiver down their spines. Sky was looking all over for the source...
...and to her horror she found it. Inferno walked out from the brush, only he was changed. He had two serpent heads coming from his shoulders, with burning red eyes, Their tongues flicked out menacingly as he smiled, "So nice to see you all again."
Sky could feel tears in her eyes, "Inferno...what's happened to you?"
He chuckled, "Something amazing. I now hold a part of Lord Orochi's power. And with it...I'm going to kill you." He lept forward without another word, the twin heads lunging for Sky. She barely managed to avoid them, and was helpless against the Dark Pulse he sent. She was knocked back, and Inferno moved to finish her off.
His jaws were closing in to snap shut, and end her life. When Bane intercepted him with a tackle. Inferno growled, and a snake head sunk it's fangs into Bane's side. He let out a groan as he was lifted and tossed aside. "Bane!" Rika launched a thunder bolt at Inferno, who dodged it, then he lept up, avoiding the thunderbolt of Tia's. The stray bolt hit Mist. Burn turned to make sure she was fine, then felt an iron tail hit him in the gut, followed by another blow while he was still in the air.
Link and Blue were side by side, with Tia, Blaze, and Rika standing behind Inferno. Inferno smirked, "Surronding me won't do you any good..." he unleashed another dark pulse, which knocked them all back, then with a succession of speedy moves, Inferno hit one after the other of his old friends.
Bane had managed to get back on his feet, and was greeted by Inferno's evil smile. Inferno charged up a hyper beam, and sent Bane sailing into the woods nearby. Inferno chuckled, "Such weak fools." He turned back to Sky, who had just risen up and stared at him, tears in her eyes. He charged her, quickly closing the distance, and he noticed something odd, "Why isn't she moving?" he thought to himself as he got within striking distance.
Sky just closed her eyes, "Inferno...I'm sorry..." he stopped his attack cold, and just stared at her. She was sorry...but for what? He stepped back, as she opened her eyes, "Inferno...please...listen..." she pleaded, "I'm your..."
Inferno shook his head, "You're my enemy! You oppose my lord!" He stepped back again, "Damn it...just die!" He turned and ran, a pidgeot swooped in just then, and Inferno lept on it's back. The two forms were quickly disappearing on the horizon. Sky just stood there, shaking, then fell to the ground and began to lightly cry. Rika wanted to comfort Sky, but she rushed for Bane, and found him in a heap, but alive. The group gathered together, and began to set up for rest. None of them felt up for continuing on after what they had just seen.
***********************************
Draganny had gotten to the castle and found Inferno in his room, but he didn't look good. "Inferno? What happened?"
He sighed, "There's something about that absol...the things she says are...I don't know what to think anymore."
Draganny sighed herself, and sat next to him, and began petting him, "Don't worry...I'm sure it'll all become clear soon enough."
He took a deep breath, "I hope so...I don't want these thoughts in my head."